Detecting apparatus



May 17, 1960 s. GILMAN DETECTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept.. 24, 1953 May 17, 1960 s. GILMAN f DETECTING APPARATUS 4 sheets-sheet z Filed Sept. 24, 1953 May 17, 1960 s. GILMAN 2,937,280

' DETECTTNC APPARATUS Filed Sept. 2-4, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5

d i@ CONTROL ,ed Z Box 61e T 90 E 7a RADIATION Pf? f4 DIELECTRIC DETECTOR "I DETECTOR AMPLIFIER AMPLIFIER C? F IG.4

B+ DIELECTRIC fig /00 DETECTOR M REJECTOR /0 7/96, Q L 70| v 2,76

95 n INTECRATOR RADIATION 1 DETECTOR REGULATOR INVENTOR SAMUEL OILMAN BY Ww ATTORNEY May 17,` 1960 s. GILMAN DETECTING APPARATUS f4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 24, 1953 INVENTOR. SAMUEL GILMAN ATTORNEY i or` another, they have had various shortcomings.

. DETECTING APPARATUS.

Samuel GilmamMaplewood, NJ., assignor toAmerican Machilter.: EoundryCo.. a; corporation.. ofV New Jersey Applicatiomseptemlger 24, 1953, Serial No. 382,125

This invention'relates'to'methods and apparatus for detecting the condition of material such as tobacco or aficigarette rod in a cigarette making machine, andmore particularly for a control device, wherein'a 'radiation detector and atdielectric detector are used together to indicate the percentage of moisture in the material and forusing the radiation detector as an overridingrcontrol for the dielectric detector.

Thereliave been various types of,y detectors for cigarette machines developed up to the present. For one reason The present detector compensates for these shortcomings so as Vto provide a more accurate detecting apparatus.

`It is an object of this inventionto provide a dielectric detector for measuring the' condition of a cigarette rod and for employing aradiation detector as anoverriding control for the dielectric detector.

'2,937,280 Patientenk May 17, 1960` ice ing device anda slowly'varyingsignal for operating a feed control. I

Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of a tobacco drying apparatus used in connectionflwithl the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig.'2. Y l

Fig. 6 is a,schematicrepresentation ofafeed-regulating mechanism used in connection'with the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1. Y f

YWith" reference to P ig.'Y 1 the continuously moving cigarette rod R passes between twoelectrodes Ef which f are connectedto a dielectric detector 10. v The latter may Another object` of this invention is to measure the condition of a cigarette rod simultaneously by means of a dielectricdetector and` a radiation detector, and then electronically computing'thepercent of moisture in the rod vfromthese two measurements.

l A further object 'of this invention is to measurelthe mass of 1a moving stream by means of a beta gauge and to measure the"dielectric properties of the stream by means Aof a dielectric detector and vto use these measurements to compute thepercent of moisture in the cigarette rod. f

Another object "of this invention is Yto alsov provide a circuit for combining a dielectric detector with a radiation 'detector so as to eliminate theneed for an overriding control for the dielectric detector. A further object is to provide a device wherein the instantaneous signal variations of l a dielectric detector are used to operate a defective cigarette rejector while the slowly varyingsignals from the radiation detector are used to operate a feed control Without the needfor an overriding control for the dielectric detector.

Another object of the invention is to combine dielectric and radiation detecting devices' in such manner'as to detect 'the condition of a stream of material.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as ythe description of the particularl physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses. In the accompanying drawings, vwhichform a part of'this specification, like characters ofreference have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings.

Fig. l is a diagrammatic` representation of acombination of a radiation type measuring device and a dielectric detector illustrating a method and means for correcting a dielectric measurement for variations in moisture in a cigarette rod.

Fig. 2 is another diagrammatic representation of a combination of a radiation type measuring device and a dielectric detectorv illustrating a method and means for measuring the percentage of moisture of a` moving stream of tobacco orl similar article continuously.

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram showing an adding circuit for algebraically combining the outputs of the dielectric detector and the beta gauge. Y

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of a circuit for providing be the same type;v and ofthe same construction as the one shown vand disclosed -in Broekhuysen et al. Patentl 2,729,214 or U. A.,Whitaker Patent 2,357,860.v Said electrodes E are mounted adjacentthe top and bottom sideof passing cigarette rod R.

A radiation type measuring device is mounted adjacent' the 'vertical sides of said rod at approximately 90 degrees with respect tothe electrodes E. While the radiation type measuring device may be either a beta gauge or a gamma gauge /orX-rays, for purposes of illustrating the inventionA inFig. l -I have employed a beta gauge.' -The latter consists of' a beta ray` source 12r and a beta ray detector 14. The beta gauge has the advantages Vthat it issubstantially independent of difference 'in kind of material and` depends primarily on the density of the material. For'example', in the 4case of tobacco, water, and paper there would heno-significant difference. Other types of radiatiofuare dependent on the atomic number of the materiales-well as the density. Y 1

As Ishown in-Fig. :1 the beta ray detector 14 is connected to'ampliier 16 so 'that the output of said detector istransmit-ted'to a suitable amplifier 16 which'in turnis connected tofan averaging circuit 18v and to another ampliiier`20. lThe amplier 20 ampliies'and transmits o the'voltage orfcurrent output of the beta detector to an electronic comparison circuit 22 to which is also transmittedl the amplified signal forwarded from the electrodes E through the dielectric detector 10,v an amplifier 24 vand an averaging circuit- 276.1- Comparison circuit 22 may be a conventional adding' circuit which -algebraically adds theoutput vvoltages Vof amplifiers 20 and 24 respectively, or any other suitable circuit for comparing voltages, such as a balanced bridgercircuit, may be used'if desired.

ForfeXamplQinfFig. 3 is shown a suitable adding circuitfoi- A combiningfthe outputs of amplifiers 20 and 24. Connectedlto thegrid ofI one half of dual triode 72 is the output of beta gauge amplifier 20. Connectedto the grid774of the' other halfof dual triode 72 is the output offdielectricr detector ampliiier 24.'-

The cathodes of both triode sections are Yconnected together and return to groundi'by means of a common cathode biasing resistor 76; f Anode voltage is supplied Vto anodes 78 and 80, through anode resistors 82 and 84 box 2,8.'

an instantaneouslyvarying signal for operating a reiectl,

Since the-beta gauge detector 14 measuresprimarily the mass of the cigarette rod and the electrodes E and dielectric Vdetector 10 'measure the'electric capacity or dielectric propertiesV which inv turn is greatly influenced by the moisture in the tobacco, an unfavorable and bad matching correlation of the two measurements or signals in the comparison circuit 22 will indicate that there has been a change in the moisture content.

By means of suitable' electronic control circuitsV con= tained in control box 28, the setting of the dielectric detector referred to in Broekhuysen et al. Patent 2,729,- 214, referred to above, and Gilman et al. Patent 2,745,- 411, is automatically reset to zero to correct the dielectric detector so that it will correctly indicate the density of thetobaeco stream or other material being detected. y l

By' this correcting means the dielectric detector is held to a correct operating value for the short time averaging used to control the feed of the cigarette making machine as described in Broekhuysen et al. Patent 2,729,213 and for the instantaneous measurement used for rejection as described in Broekhuysen et al. Patent 2,729,214 referred to above.

We thus see that the dielectric detector measures the dielectric properties or electrical impedance of the cigarette rod whichis inuenced by the moisture in the tobacco, and the beta gauge measures lthe absorption of the cigarette rod which is substantially independent of the moisture in the tobacco. By averaging the absorption and theimpedance measurement over a very long time (for example 20 to 30 seconds) by means of averaging circuits 18 and 26, it is possible to eliminate, to a major extent, the effects of the moisture in the tobacco on the electrical impedance. v

The dielectric detector may also be connected to a tobacco feed regulator 30 of a cigarette machine such as shown and described in Broekhuysen et al.- Patent 2,729,213 or Whitaker Patent 2,357,860, and also to the cigarette rejector 32 such as shown and described in Broekhuysen et al. Patent 2,729,214 or Whitaker Patent 2,357,860. The feed regulator shown and described in Whitaker Patent 2,357,860 is illustrated in Fig. 6 as having control leads generally indicatedvas 112, connected to plug 114 which in turn has a cable containing similar leads, connected to dielectric detector 10 (Fig. 1).v Leads 112 control a reversible motor 116 on whose shaft is mounted a pinion 118 driving a gear 120 on the regulating screw shaft 122 of a variable speed transmission 124 Y such as the Reeves drive, fully described in Hawkins Patent 1,864,728, through which the' motor 126 drives a conventional tobacco feed F. Motor 126 is connected to power lines 128 to which are also connected one terminal of motor 116 and a reversing lead 113. It will be understood that reversing leads 112 Vmay be connected to a conventional double pole-single throw relay (not shown) which is adapted to be actuated by dielectric detector 10 in response to an increase or decrease in the density of the tobacco stream, in the manner described in Whitaker Patent 2,357,860. Changes in the density of the tobacco stream above or below a predetermined norm cause'lead 113 to berconnected to either lead 115 or 117, thus changing the directionV of motor 116 as desired. Turning of the motor 116 in one direction will decrease and the other direction Will increase the rate of feed of tobacco being showeredron a` moving belt or conveyor 40by a proportional amount. Tobacco feed F isdriven by a Reeves drive 124-throughra chain 130. v

In cases where it is diflicult to* locate the electrodes and the beta gauge around one particular point of the cigarette rod the radiation type measuring device may be longitudinally displaced with respect to the location of the electrodes as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. In such case a further time synchronizing circuit 34 may be included as indicated in dotted lines inFig. 1. Y

Fig. 2 illustrates a possible construction whereby the percentage of moisture of tobaccov or similar substance riding on a belt or moving conveyor 40 can be measured continuously. l In this case the beta gauge, consistingof a beta source 42 and a beta detector 44.are mountedside by side with theelectrodes 46 of the'dielectric vdetector with a predetermined ixed space between theV beta gauge and said electrodes. Thelatter, as illustrated in Fig. 2, are connected to a dielectric detectorY 48 which may be of the same type and construction as the one shown and described in Broekhuysen et al. Patent 2,729,214 referred to above.

The dielectricdetector 48' in turn is connected to ariV amplier 50 which amplifies and transmits the signals to an averaging circuit 52 which in turn is connected to a comparison circuit 54. The signal or output of the beta ray detector -44 is also connected to an ampliiier 56 which amplies and transmits said signal to an averaging circuit 58 which is also connected to the comparisoncircuit 54. Y

The measurements taken by the beta detector and the electrodes of the dielectric detector must be made on the same elements passing between them. This can be done by arranging the beta gauge and the dielectric detector in the manner shown in Fig. 1 so that simultaneous measurements are made on the same material. When the beta gauge and dielectric detector are arranged in the manner shown in Fig. 2, a machine synchronization source or mechanism 60 must be attached to the machine so that by a constant speed of the conveyor 40 at the time it takes the tobacco to travel from one measuring device to the other can be precisely defined and transmitted to a synchronization circuit 62 which in turn is connected to the comparison circuit 54. Y

Therefore, in this case, the weight of the tobacco measuredby the beta gauge and the total moisture determined by the dielectric detector are combined not simultaneously but a definite time after the measurements are made.- Since as mentioned heretofore, the betagauge measures the mass and the dielectric detector essentially measures the total moisture within thatmass, a proper combination of the two measurements in the comparison circuit will disclosedirectly the percentage of moisture. This combination of measurementsl can be made either electronically through computing circuits which are relatively simple, or electrically, or in any other desired manner which gives the ratio ofone measurement to the other. The comparison circuit 54 is also connected with a control box 64 containing a suitable automatic moisture correcting mechanism. vThe comparison Vcircuit 54 may also be connected Vwith a tobacco'dryer control device 66 such as the drying mechanism shown in U.S. Patentg2,768,269,iissued October 30, 1956, to J. A.v Maul, sothat the stream of tobacco after passing the detecting stations may be properly processed and dried to a desired moisture content by suitable drying apparatus. A portion of the tobacco dryer control shown and described in this patent is shown in Fi'g.v5 as having a continuously running, endless conveyor belt'200 which in turn deposits tobacco stream T onto a slightly inclined vibrator plate 202 suitably mounted and operated in a tobacco predryer housing 204. Oriented beneath vibrator plate 202 and beneath eachother are a number of additional vibrator plates 206. Plates 206 are arranged and actated in such a way that tobaccorstream T delivered onto plate 202 is moved across the predryer housing 204 and then vdeposited onto the next'vibrator plate 206. "The tobacco stream T, by the vibrator action of plate 206, is moved againv across the 'predryer housing `andft hen fed onto the next vibrator plate'therebelow. 'This 'con veying of the tobacco stream T back andforth Within the housing 204pcontinues until the lowermost plate 206 deposits it onto another endlessconveyor belt 208 which carries the tobacco stream out of predryer 204. Y

Within housing 204 are also mounted a number of suitably arranged steam pipes (not shown)"all of which are connected to a suitable steam feed pipe 210 and an exhaust pipe 212. The feed pipe 210 is provided with a valve 214 which permits control of the amount of heat required for drying .action within housing v204.*'Co11- nected to the bottom portion of housing 204 is the end erger-eso s of a duct 216'which in turn lis connected to a blower 218 employed for the purpose of providing a 'constant air flow as well as circulation of the air within housingr204. A vent 220 mounted on top of housing 204 serves as "an exhaust for the air stream. In order to speed up drying operations within housing 204, the air stream forced therein by blower 218 may be heated by means of a suitable steam coil surrounding or penetrating `a portion of tube 216. The amount of heat supplied by the rsteam coil to heat the air stream is regulated by a suitable modulator valve 222 which in turn may be automatically controlled by a thermostat 224 placed within duct 216.

In order to control the amount of heated air sent into Vhousing 204, the duct 216.is provided with a damper 226.

The latter is mounted on a shaft 228 to one end of which is secured a lever 230 which, by means of a link 232, is connected to an arm 234 pivotally mounted on Va Ashaft 236. From the hub of arm 234 extends a cam lever 238 which due to the action of a suitable tension spring .(not shown) contacts a suitable cam 240 mounted Yon a Ashaft 242 of a servo motor 244. The latter is actuated by a servo amplifier unit S. v

The servo amplier unit S in turn is connected toc'omparison circuit 54 and control'box 64 by means of a cable connected to input plug 132. As the output ofthe comparis-on circuit measures directly the percentageof moisture as described above, this measurement results in a certain output or voltage whichris transmitted to the servo amplifier unit- S which in turn through its servo control motor 244 actuates the shaft 242 to thereby `effect the proper seating of cam 240. Y 4 j f Y v It is evident that the seating of the=cams also influences the control and seating of the damper 226 in duct `216. Therefore, if the tobacco passingthrough the electrodes 46 has a high amount of moisture, the .comparison circuit 54 reacts accordingly and transmits the corresponding signal to the servo amplier unit S'which then in turn seats the servo control cam 240 in a 'position which causes the damper 226 to open to the fullest extent, thus permitting a greater volume of heated airto be blown into the predryer housing 204 which increases the drying eect. If only a medium amount of moisture 'is vcontained in the tobacco, the damper plate y226-would then be set to a half-open position and the dryingk elect upon the tobacco Within the housing 204 is accordingly less severe. f j

Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of the invention wherein instantaneous signal variations from the dielectric detector are used to operate a rejecting device, while slowly varying signals from the radiation Vdetector are simultaneously used to operate a feed regulator similar to the regulator shown in Fig. 6, without the need of an overriding control for the dielectric detector. Dielectric detector 88 containing suitable amplifying and averaging circuits is connected through lcapacitor 90 to the interconnected grids of triode tubes 92 and'94. Radiation'detector 96 containing suitable amplifying and averaging circuits is also connected to the grids of triodes 92 and 94 through resistor'98. Defective cigarette rejecting device 100 is connected to the cathode 102 of triode'92. Tobacco as follows: Dielectric detector 88, by means' of suitable' electrodes positioned adjacent to the path of travel of the material being detected, generates a rapidly varying voltage in a manner similar to that described in Broekhuysen et al. Patent 2,729,214 referred to above. The D.C. component of this signal is stripped or removed bya blocking output voltage of dielectric detector 88, no variations in the preset yzero 'level of the dielectric detector will appear in the outputs of electronic tubes 92 and 94. Capacitor 7.90 and resistor 98 have values suitably chosen so thata time constant on the order of 20 to 30 seconds is provided. Due to the integrating effect of these RC circuit components, only slow variations in theoutput voltage of j radiation detector 96 will be fed to the inputs of triodes 92 and 94, thereby providing a substantially'constant vcontrol voltage, which serves as a D C. or reference level voltage when combined with the output p-ulsesrof ,dielectric 'detector 88.

Fast-acting'rejector 100 connected to the output of the Vcathodelfollower circuit having electronic tube.9y2 therein,

is responsive to instantaneous variations in the composite output signal. vThe outputof cathode follower circuit having electronic tube 94 therein is connected througharr integrating circuit 108 to tobacco feed regulator `104 thereby allowing the regulator to be responsive only to the long time variations in the composite signal. Thus both a'regulating and rejecting control voltage is obtained, without the necessity of an overridingcontrol of thedielectric detector output. n

Changes` in the moisture percentage of the tobacco stream may be Vread directly by connecting a high re lsistance voltmeter 112 across the terminals of capacitor90.

If the zero level of dielectric detector 88 is initiallyadljusted to coincide with the output of radiation detector 96, the voltagedrop across capacitor 90 Will be zero. Then any change in output voltage of the dielectricdetector 88 caused by a change in the moisture content of the tobacco stream will result in a voltage difference across the terminals of capacitor 90, directly proportional to a change in moisture content. -As meter 112, having .a suitable averaging circuit included therein, and connected across capacitor 90 willbe responsive to the average difference in D.C. level across the capacitor, it may thusrbe suitably calibrated toread percentage change in moisture directly. The voltage developed across capacitor 90 also maybe utilized as a source of control voltage for any otherunitsfas may-be desired, such yasadditional rejectors or servo mechanisms.

The invention hereinabove described may be varied in construction Within the scope ofthe claims, for the particular deviceselected to` Villustrate the invention is but one vof many possible embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, isnot tobe restricted `to the precise details of `the structure shown and described. i

What is claimed is:

l. In a machine for manufacturing material in a continuous stream, dielectric detecting means positioned adjacent thepath of travel of said stream for generating a signal representative of changes in the dielectric properties of successive increments of said stream of material, a source of radiation positioned adjacent said path of travel, means for subjecting said increments of material to radiation from said source, radiation receiving means'respon- .sive to variations in radiation transmitted through said increments from said source for generating a signal representative of the mass ofvsaid successive incrementsof material, and means connected to said dielectric detecting means and said radiation receiving means for correlating said signals to generate a further signal representative of the moisture content of said increments of material.

2. In a machine for manufacturing material in acon- 7 tinuous stream, dielectric detectingfmeans positioned adjacent thel path of travel of said stream for generating a signal representative of changes the dielectric properties of successive incre'mentsroi said stream of material, source of radiation positioned adjacent said. path' or trfavel, means for subjecting said increments of material f6, z'idit'iti from said source, radiation receiving means responsive tlvrla ions in radiation transmitted through said increments frm sl source, for generating a signal representative of the mass of said successive increments of material, and electrical means connected 1tot said` Ydielectric detecting means and said radiation= receiving means for algebraically adding said signals to generte a composite signal representative of the condition of said increments of material. t

3. Ina machine for manufacturing material in a continuous stream, dielectric detecting means positioned adjacent the path of travel of said stream for generating a signal representative of changes in the dielectric properties of successive increments of saidl stream of material, a source otradiation positioned adjacent said path of travel,A means for subjecting said increments of material to' radiation from said source, radiation receiving mea-ns responsive to variations in radiation transmitted through said increments from said source for 'generating a signal,`

representative of the mass of said successive increments of material, electrical adding' means connected to" said dielectric detecting means and said radiation receiving' means for algebraically adding said signals to generate a composite signal representative of the condition of said increments of'material, and means connecting said addingV means to said dielectric detecting means whereby said detecting means isadjusted in response to variations in said composite signal. l

4.- In a machine for' manufacturing material in a continuous stream,- dielectric detecting means positionedadjacent the path of travel of said stream for generating a iirst signal representative of changes in the dielectric properties of successive increments of said material, means for averaging said iirst signal torernove transient variations therefrom, a source of radiation positioned adjacent said pathof travel, means for subjecting said increments of material to radiation from said source, raidaticn receiving means responsive to variations in radiation transm'i.y ed through said increments from said source for generating a second signal representative of the mass of said successive increments of material, means for averaging said second signal to remove transient variations therefrom, and means connected to said rst signal averaging means and said second signal averaging means for correlating said averaged signals to generate a further signal representative of the moisture content of said increments of material.

5. Avmoisture control system for a machine whichV ing a drying mechanism for drying said material, dielectric detecting means positioned adjacent the path of travel of said stream for generating a signal representative of changes in the dielectric properties of successive increments of said stream of material, a source of radiation positioned adjacent said pathV of travel, means for subjecting said increments of material to radiation from said source, radiation receiving means responsive to variations in radiation transmitted through said increments from said source for generating a signal representative of the mass of said successive increments of material, means connected to said dielectric detecting means and said radiation receiving means for correlating said signals to generate a composite signal representative of the moisture content' of said increments of material,

and means connected to said correlating means for actuating saidV material drying mechanismin response to variations in said composite signal whereby the moisture content of said material is maintained substantially con- Y stant.

6; Vfeed regulating system for a machine which manufactures material in a continuous stream comprising afeed regulating mechanism for regulating the velocity of said stream of material, dielectric detecting means positioned adjacent the path of travel of said stream for generating a signal representative of changes in the dielectric properties Vof* successive increments of said' stream of material, a source of radiation positioned ad.- jacent said path of travel, means for subjecting said increments of material to radiation from said source, ra.- diation receiving means responsive to variations in radiation transmitted through saidincrements ii'rorn said source `for generating a signal representative of the mass Vof saidsuccessive increments of material', means connected Yto said dielectric detecting means and said radiation receiving nieans7 for correlating said signals to generate a composite signal representative of the moisture content ofy said increments o`f material, means for integrating said composite signal to remove transient varia-V tions therefrom, and means connectedto said integrating means for regulating said feed mechanism in response tor variations insaid composite signal, whereby the velocity of said stream is varied in accordance with the moisture content of said material.V

' 7a In a machine for manufacturing material in a continuous stream, a vdielectric detector positioned adjacent the path of travel of said streamY operative to generate a signal representative of variations in the dielectric proportiesof said stream of material, a beta gauge positioned adjacent said path of travel operative to generate a signal representative o variations in the mass of said stream of material, means connected to said dielectric detector for removing the direct current component from said detector signal to provide an output signal having substantially onlyY alternating current components, and means forY mixing said beta 'gauge signal with said alternating current components of said dielectric detector signalto generate a composite signal having a substantially direct current portion representative or" the' mass of said material and an alternating current portion representative of the moisture content of said material.

8. lIn a machine for manufacturing material in a cond tinuous stream, a dielectric detector positioned adjacent the path of'travel of said stream operative to generate an electrical signal representative of variations in the dielectric properties of said stream of material, a beta gauge positioned adjacent saidpath of travel operative to generate an electrical signal representative ot variations in the mass of said stream of material, and means connected to said dielectric detector and said beta gauge for correlating said signalsV to generate a composite electrical signal having components of separable frequencies, means selectively responsive to Va predetermined amplitude ofone of said signal components for actuating a material rejecting device, and means responsive to variations in the amplitude of another of said signal components for actuating a mechanism for regulating the velocity of said material stream.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Schools, London (Macmillan and Co.), 1881,V pages 36 to 39.

Noncontacting Beta-Ray Thickness Gage, Clapp et al., General Electric Review, March 1950, pages 31 to v34. I 

